Hello!
Another update for you all! Things are heating up...
The next chapter is also ready, with chapter twenty-three about halfway done too, so they shouldn't be too long. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Please enjoy and I'll see you in the next update!
These Inhibitors' Flaws (Reworked) – Chapter Twenty-One
Chasing down Sonic proved harder than Shadow had anticipated.
When the blue hedgehog didn't want to be tailed, he was really slippery. Diving this way and that, turning so sharply that Shadow had trouble matching it with his hover shoes. And the head-start he'd acquired while Shadow had been briefly stunned made all the difference. Trying to process Sonic's words had stalled him for maybe five seconds. Still, with their speed, it didn't take long for Sonic to put some real distance between them.
This wasn't like a friendly race, where they were starting on an even playing field; same starting point, same starting time. Sonic had a head-start. And this wasn't some competition, where the goal was typically more fun-based than anything else. Shadow was pretty sure that's what Sonic really cared about while they were racing, not winning. The blue hedgehog acted like he did. But Shadow suspected otherwise. In fact, he was almost positive Sonic just liked hanging out with him. But Sonic wasn't interested in even entertaining giving up his lead this time.
He seemed desperate to leave Shadow in the dust.
Shadow swore under his breath as Sonic took a sudden turn, right into a forest. It wasn't the one outside of Central City; they'd gone way further out than that. Honestly, Shadow wasn't sure where they even were. But Sonic seemed to. And that added an extra element of challenge to this. The terrain was unfamiliar and rough, the tree-cover dense. And Sonic was weaving through them like it was nothing. Like he knew the area like the back of his hand.
Maybe he did. Maybe that's why he chose this area. It was a place he knew he could disappear in. Shadow had no chance. But that didn't mean he was about to give up. He still had that fuzzy flash of blue in his sights, glimpsed through the trees. And as long as Shadow could see him, he could follow him.
For how long that would be possible, Shadow had no clue. He was already struggling, tensed with having to quick-dodge trees and roots constantly. He wasn't tired yet, but the terrain was definitely putting a strain on his body. How did Sonic do it? Honestly, Shadow was impressed. Sonic possessed skills he'd never even known about.
Shadow wondered how many things Sonic could do that he hadn't shown off before. How many things could he do that he just simply didn't think about being remarkable?
And then, another thought hit him: how much of this planet had Sonic mapped out in his head? He always seemed to know where he was. And he did appear to do an awful lot of exploring. He certainly had the time and speed to grow accustomed to a lot of areas. But how familiar was he with exactly how many places on Mobius?
That dark hedgehog shook his head. He was getting distracted. Thankfully, he hadn't lost Sonic yet. He did have to frantically bend to the side to avoid crashing into a particularly monstrous tree though. It seemed to rise out of nowhere.
A lone redwood.
Which was peculiar. This forest was more diverse than the one by Central City. Shadow couldn't identify all the types of trees, but he did see oaks and firs, and perhaps a few maples. There were a few thinner, scraggly trees he couldn't identify, and some with sunset orange bark. But the redwood threw Shadow off momentarily. And for a few more paces, it was the only one he'd seen. Then they started to crop up again; one to his left, two over by his right. So thick and tall, imposing. Menacing, almost. And then they slowly but surely became more frequent. Until all he was seeing were those intimidating redwoods. True to their name, the bark was a rusty, almost brick-red colour. On some, you could probably stand seven or eight mobians in a line next to one and barely cover the full diameter.
Shadow hadn't encountered a lot of redwoods before. Where the hell were they?
The sheer bulk of the trees meant that Shadow had to slow slightly to be able to effectively dodge them. As he reduced his speed, Sonic became a smaller smear in the distance. And Shadow realised he wasn't going to catch Sonic; the hero himself didn't seem to be slowing much at all. The blue hedgehog had succeeded in shaking Shadow. He slowed to a light jog.
"Damn it."
Turned out, Sonic was pretty crafty. Unfortunately, that meant Shadow couldn't follow him perfectly. Not anymore. Shadow thought about using his Emerald, but with Sonic on the move he'd be extremely difficult to pin down. By the time he re-appeared, Sonic could be several miles away. The only option he had left was to track the hedgehog using his heightened senses, Sonic's Chaos Signature, and environmental clues.
Like the sneaker-sized divot in the ground to his left. A round, vaguely oval shape. Slightly wider to one end – the toe of the shoe – with a ladderesque pattern. Driven deeper in the dirt towards the toe, reflecting Sonic's stride. Thankfully, the dirt here was damp, not quite mud but wet enough for the tracks to appear fairly clear. All he had to do was follow them. Shadow figured Sonic had to stop at some point. And when he did, Shadow would find him. All he had to do was get close enough to sense his whereabouts, then Chaos Control to him. Then he could apprehend the flighty hedgehog.
Sonic paused to catch his breath, casting a glance over his shoulder. He'd lost Shadow. But it was up in the air how long he had before Shadow located him again.
He felt kind of… unsteady.
When the glow of the inhibitors had fizzled out, Sonic had felt an overwhelming relief. Breathing had become easier instantly. And yet, the rush of his energy coming back had a sort of delayed reaction. And now Sonic was feeling like he'd just fallen from the tallest building in Metropolis. His body was aching and tingly and his migraine had finally come to a head. He thought all that would go away pretty quick but his energy still felt wonky. He couldn't tell if that was Fleetway or some vertigo brought on by his own energy flooding his veins again. Was that how it worked? It didn't feel wholly like Fleet's energy. Maybe he'd have to ask Shadow later. Hopefully it would pass and he'd be fine.
But he didn't have time for his body to recover right now. He had to reach his forms and find a way to stop Fleetway.
After a quick scan of his surroundings, Sonic's eyes lighted on a scrappy looking bush. Not ideal for hiding, but the best he had. He crawled inside the pokey plant, ignoring the way the branches snatched at his fur.
Super seemed like a safe bet. He was easier to reach than Hyper, and Sonic's relationship with Dark was a little rocky. Those rolling hills should be secure; Dark said Fleetway was in the Voidspace.
It took a moment longer than he'd been expecting to make contact with Super. Perhaps his energy was still a little funky. But after an agonising moment of nothing, warmth filled him and Sonic clung to the energy he'd been cut off from for so long. Too long. Super had understood his intentions; Sonic felt the familiar tug in the back of his mind and allowed the feeling of falling to take him. Distantly, his body fell against the scratchy ground. But Sonic's mind was already being pulled away from consciousness. Down, down, down, deep inside of him.
It felt like falling asleep. And yet, it was so different too. Sonic had never found an appropriate way of describing it. He supposed it was like he was falling through the world, past the earth and rock and magma and metal, out into space. It was a weightless, hazy feeling. The first time he'd visited the Voidspace, it had been weird. Not unpleasant but bizarre nonetheless. Now, he was used to the feeling. Welcomed it.
He just wished he was visiting his forms on better terms.
It was a gradual thing. How the sun warmed his skin, the grass tickled his sides. Like waking up after a long nap. Sonic opened his eyes, seeing red eyes staring back at him. The golden-furred hedgehog's face was upside down. Super was crouched over his head, worried yet relieved all at once. Sonic reached his hands out to Super, but he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted.
"Supe!"
Super pulled him up so that he was sitting. He might as well have not bothered; they both ended up on the floor again anyway when Super launched himself at him. Arms wrapped around Sonic, so warm and solid and warm. He returned Super's enthusiastic hug with one just as strong. He'd missed the sweet form so, so much. It hadn't even really been that long. But ever since Super had become a part of him, he'd always been there. He was always one thought away. Having him gone had been so agonisingly wrong.
Like how he'd felt when Dark was first sealed away.
"You're here!" Super cried, nuzzling the side of Sonic's muzzle.
Sonic widened his eyes. Over Super's shoulder, he could see Hyper running over. The shimmery white hedgehog kneeled at his side. Iridescent red eyes scanned him up and down, as if he'd be injured or something. Odd, for the most logical of his forms, but Sonic assumed he was just worried. Sonic grabbed his hand to stop him, offering a quick squeeze to show him he was ok. When Hyper settled back with a small relieved smile, Sonic returned it.
But there was something else he'd seen. Over by the lone tree Hyper had come from. Someone else.
All three of them were here?
Sonic turned his gaze back to the black-furred form. His head was turned away. Ears low. Dark was sitting propped up against the tree, hand resting against his stomach. He didn't rise to greet Sonic. The blue hedgehog didn't expect him to. But it still hurt. Like a punch to the sternum. Sonic felt something in his chest twist. Even with Hyper's hand in his, even with Super's arms around his chest, Sonic just felt… empty.
Reluctantly, he pulled himself from Super's grip, took his hand back from Hyper. He stood and walked over to Dark. He could feel his positive forms staring at him, watching him. They stood but did not immediately go to follow him. When Sonic glanced back, he saw that Hyper had grabbed Super by the arm to stop him from following. Green eyes met speckled red and Hyper gave one, slow nod. So Sonic closed the remaining distance between himself and Dark. But the dark form still felt so unbelievably far away. Like if Sonic took his hand he wouldn't even be there. The twisting of his heart became worse, like it would snap.
"Hey," he said softly.
Dark lowered his head to avoid meeting Sonic's gaze. So Sonic sat beside him, pulling his knees up to his chin. For a moment, he just stared at Dark, watched what he could see of his face. He didn't know what to say. There was so much they needed to talk about. But no words would come.
"We need to come up with a plan," Dark said matter-of-factly.
Yeah. He was right. As always. A conversation that loaded would have to wait. But the hurt wouldn't go away. It sat, a heavy stone in his gut, as he let out a breath. Would this pain ever go away? This crevasse that had opened between him and Dark? It really didn't feel like it would. It felt too deep, too wide. Crossing it seemed out of the question. No bridge felt like it would ever reach the other side. And if it did, it would be too unstable. Would rock in the wind and knock you off before you could even get halfway.
The scabbing around Dark's stomach didn't go unnoticed. But Sonic would not bring it up. Dark wouldn't want him to. Because Sonic wouldn't want that either. That didn't mean Sonic could stave off the rush of concern for the form though. Nor did it mean he didn't want to reach out to Dark, to take his hand away, to see the damage.
Fleetway had done that. Hadn't he?
Sonic's eyes lingered on Dark for a moment before he gestured for the others with a flick of his head. Super surprisingly settled himself on the other side of Dark. Hyper picked the spot beside Sonic.
"So what do we do?" Sonic asked wearily.
"It won't be long before Fleetway knows you're here," Hyper warned. "What ever we decide, it has to be quick."
"Maybe we can just talk to him…?" Super suggested.
Even as he was saying it, Sonic could tell Super knew it was silly. He'd always wanted to believe that Fleetway could be reasoned with. But Sonic was a convinced a long time ago that it just wasn't possible. He was unhinged and violent.
"There's no reasoning with a maniac like that," Dark spat.
The black-furred form had said exactly what Sonic was thinking, if a bit harsher. Super flinched. Sonic saw Dark wince. And all at once, two things became clear.
Dark hadn't meant to snap at Super. There was a gentleness to the hedgehog that came through every now and then. Hard to see unless you squinted. But it was there. Dark had a soft spot for Super. Sonic knew he did. Upsetting Super was not his prerogative. Sonic was aware that Dark hadn't always liked the lighter form, but that a sort of calm appreciation had built up since Super first appeared. He hesitated to say that Dark thought of Super as a friend. But enemy, he certainly was not.
The second thing was that Dark hadn't just been talking about Fleet.
"We'll have to seal him again," Hyper said.
"He'll just break free," Dark growled. "What's the point?"
"The point," Hyper said curtly. "Is that sealing him away will buy us some time to come up with a more… permanent solution."
The white hedgehog sent Super an apologetic look. Super shrunk in on himself. But he nodded, agreeing with Hyper. They all knew Fleetway had to go. None of them knew how to do that, but they had to find a way. Hyper was right; if they sealed him away they should have more than enough time to come up with a better plan. But that was easier said than done. They'd achieved it before. It was possible. Fleetway was going to fight them with every step though. The insane form would not make it easy. And Dark was injured.
"It's the best we got," Sonic said with a sigh. "But how do we get into Fleetway's domain?"
"I might be able to help with that," Dark mumbled. "I've been there before. He let me in last time, but I think I can force my way there if he's in the Voidspace."
Dark stood, hand falling away from his stomach. Sonic got a better look at the jagged, half-healed hole there. It was crusted over with drying blood, shockingly rusty against his pale peach fur. A matching scab was mirrored just below his back spines. Whatever Fleetway had done, it had gone right through. Sonic shuddered. His wound was doing very well all things considered. The hole had closed up almost all the way to the surface. It still looked nasty though. Sonic had that urge to reach for Dark's hand again but he stopped himself. Dark rose a hand, swirled with purple-blue energy.
The black-furred form didn't get very far.
The first warning Sonic had was Super gasping sharply. Then a blur of dirty yellow and red crashed into Dark and sent him tumbling. Sonic rose to his feet, but a hand was already closing around his windpipe before he even saw Fleetway. Spiteful, hellish eyes stared through him. The bark of the tree was digging into his fur, bending his quills awkwardly. Sonic thrashed against Fleetway's hold, kicking out in panic. His sneaker found the form's stomach but he barely flinched. A beat later, Fleetway was being dragged off him. It all happened in maybe eight seconds.
But what was eight seconds to beings that could move at the speed of light?
Sonic coughed, rubbing his palm over his abused throat. A hand found his shoulder. Super. Breathing hard, Sonic looked up to see what was happening. Hyper was wrestling with Fleetway a little down the hill with Dark. It seemed like they were trying to pin down Fleetway's arms. They weren't having much luck. Sonic patted Super's hand.
"Help them," he croaked.
Super brushed his cheek along Sonic's for a moment and took to the sky. In a whirl of golden light, Super flew at the three. Hyper and Dark spotted him and threw themselves to the side. Super landed with his shoe against Fleetway's chest. Stained gloves closed around Super's ankle and flung him over Fleetway's head. Dark was on the insane form the moment Super was gone, punching him across the face with an energy-clad fist. But Fleetway retaliated just as fast, slashing his claws over the still open wound along Dark's stomach. The dark hedgehog hissed, stumbling away. Fleetway was back on his feet.
Sonic watched them fighting helplessly. If he knew how to use any Chaos techniques he might actually be helpful. But he didn't know how to preform a single one. He cursed himself for avoiding Knuckles and his intimidating lessons. His forms needed him and he was just standing there, at the top of the hill. Dead weight in his own mind.
But he had to do something.
"Think, damn it, think," he growled.
It was him Fleetway really wanted, right? Maybe Sonic could distract him? This body wasn't real anyway, just a mental projection. He could feel pain but his body would be fine. He couldn't die. It was time to stop wallowing in fear. Sonic could take a little pain; he had to stop being a pansy in his own mind, damn it.
So he curled himself into a ball and shot down the hill. The momentum carried him, the angle of the hill increasing his speed. He felt himself connect with Fleetway's leg. Already, he knew nothing he could do would even scratch the form. But he wasn't intending to hurt him. Just to get his attention. And at the angry, warped roar that followed him the rest of the way across the meadow beyond, Sonic knew he'd achieved just that. Before he was even losing speed, Sonic uncurled and sprung to his feet. He tried to run in an inconsistent, swerving pattern. Left then right, then left and stay left, then right again, then left, then right, then left, then turn left again and backtrack. But Fleetway was faster than him.
And Dark was faster than Fleetway.
Once Sonic felt claws sinking into his scruff, they were already gone. Whisked away like they'd never been there. Only the trace of a sting reminded Sonic that he'd almost been snatched by Fleetway. He dug his heels into the grass, spinning around. He caught Dark using his energy to burn Fleetway's arm. There was so much fury flickering in his white eyes; it was probably pretty satisfying to get revenge for that hole in his torso.
Then Fleetway drove his fist into Dark's stomach. Blood bubbled up past his pale lips. Not all of his insides must have been healed yet. A flash of rainbow light knocked Fleetway off his feet. Hyper was hovering in the air, a shiny coating of colourful energy flaring out around him.
"Fleetway, please!" Super called out, appearing beside Dark. "Just stop!"
Dark swiped a hand over his muzzle, flicking his wrist to the side. Droplets of red scattered all over the flowers. Sonic stared at them for a moment distractedly. The sunflowers were covered in blood spatter. Sonic's ears flattened. They weren't even real; still something really bothered him about that sight. He hated it. He swung his head around to glare at Fleetway. That was Dark's blood. And Fleetway had drawn it. Anger coiled in his stomach. Out the corner of his eye, he caught Dark looking at him. Finally looking at him.
Sonic sprinted forwards, hands curling into fists so tight he could feel his claws slice against his palm. Hissing, he ran straight into Fleetway, tucking his head in and throwing all of his weight into a shove. It was incredibly stupid. Hitting Fleetway was like hitting a wall. The insane hedgehog didn't even move. As Fleetway grabbed a fistful of his quills, Sonic wondered what had driven him to even try. He yelped, pain erupting along the back of his head as Fleetway swung him around, letting go at the apex of the arc. Super intercepted Sonic midair, gentle hands catching him under his arms just like Tails had done so many times.
But once again, Sonic had proved enough of a distraction. When he cracked an eye open to look below, Hyper had Fleetway by the wrists. Dark was coming up from behind. Purple-blue energy swirled around Dark as he charged up an attack. But Fleetway turned, pulling Hyper off his feet.
And right into the path of Dark.
"Dark!" Sonic and Super called out together, trying to warn him.
But it was too late. Sonic saw the split second of Dark's eyes widening, already going too fast to stop his momentum. Then he slammed into Hyper head on. The white hedgehog grunted, letting go of Fleetway's wrists, and the two went sprawling. Fleetway had hopped away in time, cackling. The fur along Hyper's back was singed. Dark rolled passed Hyper, coming to a stop on his front with a hiss. He'd landed directly against his stomach.
"You don't have to do this, Fleet!" Super cried.
The dirty yellow hedgehog swung his head around to look at them, up in the sky. His eyes were narrowed into crimson slits. Sonic tensed.
"Shut the fuck up!" Fleetway roared.
Red engulfed Sonic's vision as Fleetway collided with them. There was a burning along his arms, corrosive energy weaving its way along his skin. It felt like his flesh had been pressed against the bars of a grill. And then he was falling. There was a horrible moment of silence as the wind rushed around him. Super's hands against his upper arms were long gone. There was just a feeling of hollowness wrapping around him now. He felt weightless.
There was no one waiting to catch him this time.
Sonic hit the ground, choking on his own spit. All the air had been knocked from his lungs. Every inch of his back ached but the pain hadn't quiet set it. It was far away. As if, even inside his own head, his mind couldn't process it. He coughed and coughed, rolling onto his side. He felt all shivery again, like before he'd entered Super's domain.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" he heard Fleetway shriek somewhere to his left. "Stupid bitch!"
But another sound reached him. One that forced him to his knees, despite how much his body protested every tiny movement. Sonic's arms shook beneath him, body quaking. Raising his head took so much effort. But he needed to know what was happening. He needed to know. Because that sound was making him feel queasy. It was a bad sound. A really awful, terrible sound.
The sound of Super screaming.
Fleetway had the golden hedgehog pinned to the floor, both hands wrapped around his throat. All the grass and flowers had been burned away by the red energy lashing around them. Super's legs twisted and pushed against the mud, but he couldn't get any traction, any leverage. Fleetway had him stuck fast. He was stronger. And it wasn't just the flowers that the unstable energy was burning. It was Super's fur and skin too. Parts of his fur were turning a horrible, dull brown-black. He was writhing against the floor in agony. Tears were streaming down Super's face as he wailed. Fleetway picked him up slightly and slammed him back against the ground. A nauseating crack echoed around the domain. Super's scream stuttered slightly.
"Shut up!"
Hyper was struggling to his feet a little ways away, eyes wide. Dark was already trying to approach, Sonic's horror mirrored on his face. But the black-furred hedgehog couldn't get close with all that scarlet energy engulfing them both. He couldn't get to Super.
But Super was crying. He was crying for them. He was in pain. Dark had to get to him, he just had to. He had to get to him.
Something seemed to break apart inside Sonic. Like a piece of wood snapping in half, scattering shards of itself throughout his chest. His body went hot. Really, really hot. There was an ache settling behind his eyes. His vision was skewing, becoming blurry and wet. Sonic felt kind of woozy. Was it just him, or was all the colour fading away…?
"SUPER!" Sonic wailed.